Cannon-pinion for watches



(No Model.)

G. E. HUNTER. CANNON PINION FOR WATCHES.

No. 417,644. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

N. PETERS. Imam-Lithographer. Waih'mgtun. u c

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. HUNTER, 'OF ELGIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELGIN NATIONAL \VATCII COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CANNON- PINION FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 417,644, dated December 17, 1889. Application filed April 24:, 1889. Serial No. 308,367. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HUNTER, of Elgin, in the county of Kane, and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cannon-Pinions for WVatches and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of my pinion and retaining-spring separated from each other. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same combined. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a center arbor, which is adapted to receive said pinion. Fig. 4 is a like View of said parts'as combined for use, and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively longitudinal and cross sections of the same.

Letters of like nameand kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

In the construction of time-trains it is customary to combine the center arbor and the cannon-pinion, which carries the minuteshand, by friction produced by a spring that is either formed upon or attached to such arbor, or, as is usually the case, is formed from the barrel of the pinion. The making of such spring constitutes but a small part of the cost of making a pinion, and it is the only part liable to breakage or injury, and in the event of such accident the entire pinion is rendered useless;

The design of my invention is to remove the hereinbefore-named objections; and to such end my said invention consists in a cannon-pinion and a confining or friction spring for the same, constructed and operating as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the carrying of my invention into practice I employ an ordinary cannon-pinion A, which exteriorly is composed of a barrel that is provided at one end with peripheral teeth a and a, and at its opposite end has such shape as will adapt it to receive and carry a minutes-hand The pinion A as constructed has an axial opening a, which from its outer end, about one-third the distance toward its opposite end, has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the arbor B upon which it is to be placed, from thence nearly to the opposite end a has nearly twice such diameter, and within the line of the teeth 'a and a has a further increase in diameter that constitutes an annular recess (i the periphery of which is preferably slightly undercut. \Vithinthe enlargement a is fitted a sleeve 0, that has the general form of a cylinder, and at one end is provided with a peripheral flange or head 0, which fits into, corresponds to, and fills the recess a WVithin one side of said sleeve is a longitudinal slot 0, that extends its entire length, while within its opposite side is a similar slot 0 which ext-ends from said head to its opposite end. The sleeve thus constructed is preferably made from steel, although any other permanently-elastic metal may be employed, if desired, and in consequence of the partial and complete longitudinal divisions is capable of being compressed and expanded laterally. In its construction the diameters of the body of the sleeve C and of the head 0 correspond to or are slightly greater than the like features of the enlargement a and recess a of the pinion A, while interiorly said sleeve has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the arbor B. After the slots 0 and a have been out the inner end of said sleeve is given an inward spring to cause itto grasp said arbor, while the outer end, in consequence of the under-cut of the recess and the correspondingly opposite taper of the head, mustbe slightly compressed in order to cause said head to enter said recess; but when once the former is within the latter, the expansion of said head will cause it to fill said recess and produce sufficient friction between their peripheries to insure the rotation of said pinion with said sleeve. By increasing or lessening the outward spring of said sleeve any desired degree of frictional contact may be secured between the same.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 5, the arbor B from its outer end inwarda distance slightly greater than the length of the pinion Ahas such reduced diameter as to adapt it to receive the latter, and at the inner end of such bearing b has a shoulder 11 that limits the inward movement of said pinion and defines its longitudinal position upon said arbor, while from a point near the outer end of said bearing nearly to the inner end of the same it is given an inwardly-decreasing diameter, as shown, so that when the pinion is in place the free ends of the spring-sleeve C impinge upon oppositely-inclined surfaces that operate to hold said pinion attheinnerlimit of its motion and to prevent it from rising upon its arbor.

The spring-sleeve described is easily and cheaply constructed, and can be readily and quickly placed in or removed from position, so that its use will be of material advantage as compared with the friction-springs h eretofore employed.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim is- 1. A cannon-pinion and a sleeve for securing the same upon an arbor, which are constructed separate from each other and from the arbor and are adapted .to be combined and separated, and when so combined have a spring engagement, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with acannon-pinion and an arbor therefor, a sleeve that is separate from the pinion and arbor and is adapted to fit within the axial opening of and have a spring connection with said pinion and to operate to confine it-in place upon said arbor, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. A cannon-pinion which is provided with an axial opening that is enlarged or counterbored for a portion of its length to form a recess, in combination with an annular longitudinally-slotted spring that is adapted to fit within such counterbored space and to operate to confine said pinion in place upon an arbor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a cannon-pinion, an arbor for the same, and a sleeve for uniting said parts, which at one extremity has frictional spring engagement with said pinion and at its other extremity has a like engagement with said arbor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination with a cannon-pinion and an arbor therefor, a sleeve that is slotted in one side throughout its length, so as to constitute at each end a spring, the one for engagement with said pinion and the other for engagement with said arbor, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

6. In combination with a cannon-pinion and an arbor, a sleeve which has formed in its sides two longitudinal slots, one of which extends throughout the length thereof and the other extends but partially through its length, said slots constituting of said sleeve a spring adapted to unite said pinion and arbor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March, A. D. 1889.

GEORGE E. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

W. P. HEMMENS, W. 11. OLoUDMAN. 

